The present disclosure relates to network computing. Computer networks typically include a collection of computing devices enabled to communicate with each other for handling data traffic and control instructions. For example, such devices can include servers, data centers, routers, network switches, bridges, hubs, management applications, wireless access points, and client computers. Computer networks can provide network connectivity to wired computing devices and/or wireless computing devices. Some network computing devices, such as network switches, are used to connect network segments. Network switches process data, such as data packets, and forward the data to and from source and destination devices. Network switches can also include functionality for routing data in addition to forwarding operations.
Computer networks can include various configurations. One such configuration includes a link aggregation technology known as Multi-Link Trunking (MLT). MLT is a port trunking or line/cable sharing technology for using multiple network connections in parallel. MLT has been standardized as specified by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3ad, which is hereby incorporated by reference. MLT typically includes Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) to provide a method to control the bundling of several physical ports together to form a single logical channel. LACP allows a network device to negotiate an automatic bundling of links by sending LACP packets to a peer (directly connected device that also implements LACP). Alternatively, MLT links can be bundled manually. In both configurations, MLT enables grouping several physical Ethernet links into one logical Ethernet link to provide increased bandwidth, speed, resiliency, and several fail-over paths for fault-tolerance. If a given link fails, then the MLT technology will quickly and automatically redistribute traffic across the remaining links.
MLT is generally limited in that the physical ports in a given link aggregation group all reside on the same network switch. Additional MLT technologies address this limitation by enabling physical ports to be split between two network switches. Such technologies that enable splitting physical ports between network switches include Split Multi-Link Trunking (SMLT), Distributed Split Multi-Link Trunking (DSMLT), and Routed Split Multi-Link Trunking (R-SMLT). By splitting physical ports between network switches, split multi-link trunking technologies protect against nodal failure in addition to line card and link failure.